Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Ladies, it can be done! You can get fab First Lady arms like Michelle Obama's.

If you are young and in your 20s or 30s, the toned triceps and biceps are much easier to achieve. But as we get older, well, you have to work much harder to get rid of the "dingle-dangle," as we like to call it.

Look at our First Lady, Michelle Obama. She's in her late 40s, and her well-toned arms have been a hot topic for weeks now.

So, how do you get fab First Lady arms???

With a healthy diet, of course, a little cardio, and most importantly, some religious strength-training.

Many women hit the gym, but are afraid to pick up the dumbbells. They're scared of developing massive football shoulders and huge arms. So women work out and work out on the elliptical machines, for instance, and then become frustrated because their arms lack definition.

You need some small weights. We like 3-5 lb. baby dumbbells. You can achieve some decent definition with free weights and a routine. You must keep up with a work out program, or you won't see the toned arms. And don't worry, you won't develop gigantic muscles.

First Lady Michelle Obama has said she exercises in 90-minute workouts three times a week with a personal trainer. She told People magazine that during an average day in the White House, she and the president get up at 5:30 a.m. and usually work out and have breakfast.

We found a great article at CNN's website about toning arms:"It's unclear what kind of exercises Obama does to maintain her buff arms, but it appears to be both back and arm workouts, said Michele Vourliotis, author of "Amazing Arms: Get Toned Triceps, Beautiful Biceps, and Sexy Shoulders in Just Minutes a Day.""She may be working out on machine, dumbbells, bands or using her body weight," Vourliotis said. Pick the option that seems most suitable to you, she advised.

For beginners, Vourliotis recommends getting a suitable set of dumbbells (five pounds or more) and doing 12 to 15 of each exercise -- bicep curls, tricep kickbacks to exercise the back of the arm, shoulder and lateral raises. Visit the American Council on Exercises library for detailed instructions on these arm exercises.

Monday, April 6, 2009

You're getting a lot of good from a 5 oz. can of tuna packed in water:

Low in calories--only about 120, 4 oz.Naturally high in proteinNaturally 98% fat freeYummy, filling mealFull of excellent Omega-3sHealthy for your heartAnd if you were hesitant about buying canned fish like tuna or salmon, worry no more. We did a little research and found the facts at www.ecollo.com. The website has made our job easy. Check out their results, and lose weight the healthy way:

"Here is a quick guide to some of the more common canned fish you’ll find in your local grocery store:

Tuna is considered a good source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids and other important minerals and nutrients but because of increased mercury levels recommendations suggest less than 3 meals a month. White tuna packed in water holds the highest levels of Omega-3’s and Albacore tuna caught in the US and Canada are your Eco best because their catching techniques yield almost no bycatch. (other sea creatures)

Salmon is a much better choice over tuna if you like the taste. It’s got similar health benefits without the risks of other contaminants. Also, canned Pink or Sockeye salmon is caught in Alaska with environmentally friendly gear.

Mussels & Oysters. These beauties have tons of Omega-3 fatty acids and low contaminants plus they’re farmed using hanging ropes which doesn’t affect local habitats at all. If you’ve never had smoked oysters or mussels you’re missing out. Grab yourself some of your favorite crackers and cheese plus a little seafood sauce and you’ve got a great little appetizer. (Cracker, cheese, mussel or oyster, seafood sauce on top YUM)

That’s the basics but check out the Environmental Defense Fund’s site to see the ratings of any ocean fish you may be interested in. They include an Eco rating plus nutritional guide and recipes."

Sunday, April 5, 2009

We didn't even want to go there, but the clever and dopey folks at Schick Quattro, have thrown the ball in our court, so here we go......

We were half asleep on the couch last night, barely watching a program on VH-1. Suddenly an ad came on, showing various women going through their day, and curiously, bushes and shrubbery around them, shrinking and shrinking.

So that's the commercial everyone's been buzzing about?! Duh!!! We get it. It's time to, er, Mow the lawn," as one of the Schick Quattro for Women ads have been coyly referring to.

If you're still in a hairy fog about this, let us explain further. The ads are supposed to be a smart way of telling women out there, that Shick Quattro has a special, new razor for trimming your pubic hair. Yeah. That's right. The advertising agency thought that 'shrinking bushes' might be a great clue, since it isn't easy talking about a woman's hair down there over the public airways.

Well, we're not sure about the ad and the analogies, but, the product has gotten lots of buzz, so from a marketing standpoint, the advertising company has surely done its job.

Let's take a look at Schick Quattro for Women Trim Style Razor & Bikini Trimmer. It sells for $10.99 at your local drugstore. In the package, you receive:

1 blade1 battery1 razor1 holder

There are 3 adjustments you can make to the trimmer, depending on hair length desired in the bikini line area.

As one woman quipped, "If this razor comes with a vibrator, they'll be flying off store shelves!"

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Let's be honest. Some women love makeup, but claim they don't have time to get glam. Time is short.

But there are quick ways to fake your makeup know-how when time is of the essence.

And beloved professional makeup artist Bobbi Brown shows you just what to do. And we're talking a stripped-down classic look. Think nude, neutral.

All you need is one beautiful lipstick. Yeah, that's it, ladies.

Bobbi Brown's makeup is featured in the April 2009 issue of Glamour magazine."This creamy, semi-matte lipstick gives lips instant polish with rich, full coverage. Wear Bobbi Brown Lip Color alone or pair with Lip Liner and Lip Gloss - depending on your desired effect.View Bobbi's Lips How-To Video. "The shade Bobbi Brown suggests is Brown. Her particular brown is described as a "medium pink brown." A nude, or a neutral."One swipe makes you look done," Bobbi Brown explains. "I created this to look like your lips, only better."

Meantime, let us go one step further. And this is still being very minimal in the makeup department.

Nude nail polishes are very hot this spring. You don't need to sport long talons, either. The upkeep is low-maintenance. Just keep your nails short and neat. And apply a pretty nude-colored cocoa. Your hands will look longer and slimmer. It's a classic, elegant look.

Here are a couple to try:

1. Creative Nail Design's (CND) Cocoa nail enamel ($6). This particular shade was hot on the catwalk of popular designers like Nina Ricci.

“Girls today are so influenced by what they see on television and in magazines, film and media across the board and I began to realize how those images affect girls and how they feel about themselves,” Shaun explained. “That’s really nothing new, but I think the topic has taken on more of an urgency because there’s becoming more of an emphasis on looks. With all these messages of female empowerment, girls are still feeling incredibly, incredibly inadequate.”

In her book, Exactly As I Am, Shaun talks with a number of famous women about the topic of self-esteem. Women like Alicia Keys. Kelly Clarkson. Eva Mendes. Oprah, and other accomplished ladies.

“Whenever I said I was doing a book on girls and self esteem, I can’t tell you how many people said, ‘Oh, we need that now,” Shaun said. “There are so many people that have daughters or know of somebody in their family who is struggling with self-esteem issues. Building self-esteem is a lifelong process. I think women of all ages will be able to get some information from this book and take a piece of it with them. Sometimes I come in and I look in the mirror and I’m like, ‘Oh god, I don’t know how I’m gonna go on TV today.’ But it’s a lifelong process, you get to the point where you are comfortable with who you are, you are comfortable with yourself and you’re able to deal with these outside influences and make sure you can look in the mirror and say, ‘If I like the type of person that I am inside, I’ll like the type of person I am outside."

We like Shaun Robinson's bold approach to a subject that seems so hard to tackle. Self-esteem issues are something we all deal with in life, and it's nice to learn how other women, even famous ones, are dealing with their own insecurities.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Don't let the French elegance of the word fool you. The decollete is actually the upper part of a woman's chest, below the neck.Iconic model Cindy Crawford was just mentioning the very delicate skin of the decollete in a recent interview with Allure magazine. And we here at BeautyTipToday, featured some smart, anti-aging beauty secrets from the supermodel, who looks gorgeous at age 43, mother of two.

"ALLURE: Are there any areas you take particularly good care of?

CINDY CRAWFORD: My hands and my décolleté. In L.A., there are 65-year-old women walking around in Juicy sweatpants, and from the back, you'd think they were 20. But when you see their hands or their neck, you know. When I put moisturizer on my face, I use a little extra so that I have enough to cover my hands. Most people don't start caring about the décolleté until it's too late, but I'm religious about it."

Why does the decollete need special TLC, or tender loving care?

According to www.liv.com, a website dedicated to helping raise awareness about early detection of breast cancer, the skin of the decollete, is quite delicate:

"The skin on the décolleté area is more sensitive than skin on other parts of our body; it is thinner, less moisturized, has less elasticity and there is no fat tissue below. Consequently, this skin is more likely to show signs of aging with dryness, hyper-pigmentation and age spots."

We recommend these 2 wonderful decollete creams to firm and smooth the skin:

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

You are not alone. And now there's a fascinating new, natural product designed to get you up and out of bed in record time!

It's called Wake Up On Time. And it is the first time-released product taken before bed.You wake up feeling refreshed, energized, and ready-to-go!!

So what's in this little all-natural energy pill? See how the Wake Up On Time folks describe their little pick-me-upper:

"Wake Up On Time contains only the finest ingredients, including all the important B vitamins, Siberian ginseng, L-tyrosine and guarana seed extract. It will never prevent you from falling asleep at night, but it's guaranteed to get you going in the morning!"

Wake Up On Time is available at most drugstores at $29.95 for a month's supply.